Review: Madre Hawaiian Dark 70%

Lindy's Rating: 7.0

Richard's Rating: 7.0

chocolate maker Madre bar Hawaiian region Hawaii plantation Alae Estate cacao trees Hawaiian Crown Trinitario year 2011 size 43g ~ 1.5oz cocoa solids 70% added fat cocoa butter sweetener sugar emulsifier (none) flavoring vanilla other ingredients (none) list price $8.00

color medium-dark brown PANTONE 19-1317 Bitter Chocolate texture smooth with raised shapes, image imprints aroma tropical fruit (pineapple, coconut), roast (hint of smoke), sweet (marshmallow), vanilla snap hard taste tropical fruit (pineapple), roast, sweet, tannin, acidic melt more smooth length medium finish somewhat tannin

United States chocolate maker Madre Chocolate hand-crafts their bean to bar chocolate in Honolulu. Many of their chocolates are flavored, but they also make some unflavored chocolate, including this one. They began selling chocolate bars in February 2011.

Hawaii is the only area of the United States capable of growing cacao, and Madre's Hawaiian chocolate was made from Trinitario cacao beans grown at the Alai Estate near Papaikou on the Big Island of Hawaii. Hawaiian had 70% cocoa solids (including added cocoa butter) plus added sugar and Mexican vanilla. Although their chocolate was not certified, their cacao beans, sugar, and cocoa butter were organic and Madre paid fair trade prices.

The small 1.5 ounce bar was not scored, but had raised shapes and image imprints that visually split the bar into roughly 5 pieces. It came wrapped in silver foil inside a paper sleeve. The wrapper was stamped with cacao of Hawaiian Crown and a batch of October 17, 2012 (the best before date).

Hawaiian had a medium-dark brown Bitter Chocolate (PANTONE 19-1317) color. The surface was smooth and looked great other than a barely noticeable uneven sheen. The bar had a hard snap.

The lovely aroma contained tropical fruits, including pineapple and coconut, roast with just a hint of smoke, a marshmallow sweetness, and some vanilla. The combination of scents was compelling.

The chocolate tasted of tropical fruit as well, with pineapple clearly present. Other flavors included roast, sweet, tannin, and acidic. The taste was good, but somewhat disappointing after that aroma.

Hawaiian had a melt that was more smooth. The flavor after the chocolate was gone lasted 20 to 25 seconds, giving a medium length. The finish was somewhat tannin.

You can purchase Hawaiian online for $8.00 directly from Madre, and they ship to over 20 countries.

In addition, if you live near Seattle, you can taste this chocolate on Thursday March 1st between 5 and 9 p.m. at Chocolopolis, where their free weekly Thursday happy hour chocolate tasting will be of Hawaiian chocolates this week.